Give a Moment to Those That Lost it All
This Memorial Day, honor the brave soldiers of the US military at The National WWII Museum, the largest WWII museum in the world, on May 25 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Join the dedicated WWII Museum as they stand in remembrance of military service-members who have lost their lives on behalf of their country. The event is free and open to the public.
What is Memorial Day?
Memorial Day, or Decoration Day, is a long-standing tradition in the US. As far back as the Civil War, communities decorated the gravestones of soldiers on what was coined "decoration days." It was Gen. Logan's General Order No. 11 that established late May as a time for the decoration as flowers came into full bloom. The image below is a stereograph of Ulysses S. Grant and General John Logan at a Decoration Day celebration in 1873.
The practice continued, and in 1971, thanks to the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, the last Monday of May was declared a national holiday, creating the three day weekend we know today. As Bvt. Lt. Col. Edmund B. Whitman said, "The Nation, which respects and honors its dead, shall ever be respected and honored itself."
How the WWII Museum Will Commemorate
The commemoration at the National WWII Museum will include remarks by Gold Star member Terry Savage, whose son Brian "Alex" Vaughn was killed during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
By the Civil Air Patrol's Louisiana Wing, there will be a Missing Man Table on display. This is a symbolic gesture on behalf of a missing service-member. Typically a table set for one, to represent the isolation of a missing service-member, the table is dressed in symbolism. A white cloth is the purity of their motives in answering the call to service; the single red rose represents the families and friends; a red ribbon is a dedication to account for the missing; a slice of lemon captures the bitter fate met by the service-member; a pinch of salt for the tears of the family; and, finally, a lit candle reflects a hope for their eventual return.
The Victory Belles, a vocal trio in New Orleans dedicated to honoring veterans and the music of the '40s, will perform. The American Legion Post 377 band, a 60-piece band, will follow.
Check Out the Museum
The museum will remain open on Memorial Day. Haven't visited before? The National WWII Museum holds one of the largest collections of exhibits featuring immersive video content, photographs, artifacts, and personal memorabilia of the second World War in the world, spanning across over 400,000 square feet of space. Visitors can walk-through the exhibits spanning across five-campuses in a few ways. The Dog-Tag Experience allows guests to listen to personal stories along the way. There are also guided tours available for different exhibits within the museum.
Make your three-day weekend special, and stay for a trip through the museum after the Memorial Day commemoration.
